8 Crazy Facts About Hanukkah

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Wednesday December 6th 2017

Photo via http://ow.ly/qQu130h3y5q

This year, the celebration of Hanukkah begins on the evening of
Tuesday, Dec. 12, and ends on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Even if you're not
Jewish, you probably know about the lighting of the menorah. You may
even be familiar with some of the foods eaten during this celebration.
But there are some things that may surprise you about Hanukkah. This
week, I'm letting you in on some interesting facts connected with the
celebration of Hanukkah.

Eight Crazy Facts About Hanukkah

Sufganiyot, or jelly doughnuts, are eaten in celebration of
Hanukkah. In fact, 17.5 million sufganiyot are consumed in Israel during
this holiday. It wasn't until the 1920s that this treat
was made the official food of Hanukkah by the Israeli Labor Federation.
Other popular foods eaten during Hanukkah include latkes, kugel,
rugelach, and applesauce.

Playing the dreidel game
is a tradition many Jewish families enjoy during Hanukkah, but there's a
lot of significance to the story behind this simple game. In 168 B.C.,
ruler Epiphanes IV tried to abolish Judaism in Greece. Many Jewish
people gathered together in groups to read the Torah, but if Greek
soldiers passed by, the group would take out a dreidel and start playing
with it to disguise their activities.

Hanukkah was first officially celebrated at the White House by
President Jimmy Carter in 1979. Since then, there has a been a yearly
ceremony to light a menorah at the White House.

There are 16 ways to spell Hanukkah! After "Hanukkah," "Chanukah"
is the next most popular spelling. The abundance of spellings is due to
the fact that there isn't one standard way to translate Hebrew
characters into English; spellings vary based on how people decide to
spell out the word's pronunciation in our alphabet.

As a Jewish celebration, Hanukkah is less important than Passover
and Rosh Hashanah, but this celebration gained more importance during
the 20th century. Many Jewish families celebrate Hanukkah because it
usually happens during the winter break from school and takes place near
the Christmas holiday.

Hanukkah doesn't occur at the exact same time each year. It starts
on 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, which can fall anywhere from
late November into December on the Gregorian calendar. In 2013, Hanukkah
took place at the same time as Thanksgiving. Can you imagine all of the
wonderful foods on Thanksgiving and Hanukkah tables that year? I
would've savored a plate of sliced turkey with a couple of latkes and
applesauce on the side! If you're looking forward to a repeat of this
double celebration, you'll have to wait until 2070.

Many Jewish people light a menorah during Hanukkah just as they
were lit in the First Temple. But nowadays, menorah candles are
available in a range of different colors and even scents, including
sufganiyot.

Did you know that the word "Hanukkah" means "dedication"? The name refers to the reclaiming of the temple from the Greeks. Hanukkah is a reminder for Jewish people to remain dedicated to their traditions and heritage.

I think learning about the stories behind certain traditions can make a celebration all the more meaningful. Don't you?